1. Field of the Invention
Embodiments of the present invention relate to a solar cell and a solar cell panel including the same, and more particularly to solar cells connected by leads and a solar cell panel including the same.
2. Description of the Related Art
Recently, as existing energy resources such as petroleum and coal are depleted, interest in alternative energy sources is increasing. In particular, a solar cell is highlighted as a next-generation cell capable of converting solar energy into electric energy.
A plurality of solar cells as mentioned above is connected in series or in parallel by a plurality of ribbons, and is then packaged through a packaging process, for protection thereof, thereby forming a solar cell panel. Since such a solar cell panel must perform generation for a long period of time in various environments, the solar cell panel should secure long-term reliability. In conventional instances, a plurality of solar cells is connected by ribbons, as mentioned above.
However, when solar cells are connected using ribbons having a great width of about 1.5 mm, shading loss may be generated due to such a great width of the ribbons. For this reason, the number of ribbons used for the solar cells should be reduced. Furthermore, the ribbons exhibit inferior attachment strength, or the solar cells may exhibit an increased degree of bending due to the ribbons. In such an instance, there is a limitation in enhancing the output power of the solar cell panel. In addition, the ribbons may be detached from the solar cells, or the solar cells may be damaged. As a result, the solar cell panel may exhibit decreased reliability.